


Vanda and the Courtiers

by Aloe_kun



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Bugs & Insects, Butterflies, Conversations, Dungeon, Flowers, Magic, Mild Blood, Minor Injuries, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Plants, Rain, Storytelling, Sunsets, Sweet, Worms, compliments
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-01-15 11:18:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18497872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aloe_kun/pseuds/Aloe_kun
Summary: Various shippy scenarios involving the courtiers and my MC, Vanda. Chapters will probably average out at about 1000 words each, and there will be 3 per courtier.I'll try to update semi regularly until all 15 chapters are finished!





	1. Deadheading

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vlastomil calls Vanda to his estate for a delicate matter, in the more literal sense of the word.

Vanda had just reached out, fingers about to brush the soft looking petals of a flower when Vlastomil spoke.

"Do remember to wear gloves, Vanda." He said, not looking up from the small worm crawling on his own gloved hands. "It would be a shame if you were to fall ill, it would."

"Oh, um..." Vanda quickly pulled his hand away from the bloom. "Right."

He wasn't really sre what they were doing yet. All he knew was that Vlastomil had requested his presence at his estate for a 'delicate matter'. It had taken some time to get there though; the sun had just begun to set by the time he'd arrived, the sky begining to turn pink. A few people had tried convincing him not to go -especially Nadia who undoubtedly had a distaste for worms- but in the end they hadn't stopped him, though Nadia had told him to be careful.

He pulled on the gloves that were sitting on his lap, long black affairs that reached up past his elbows. They were quite tight fitting. "So, what are these flowers?"

"Deathmoon lilies. They're simply striking, aren't they? Such a vibrant red hue... My darling worms just love them!" He lifted his hands up to face hight to coo at the specimen in them. "Don't you? Yes you do!"

Vanda hid a little laugh behind his hand as the courtier set the little worm down on the dirt, cooing that he'd play with it later. He smiled as Vlastomil turned his attention on him, adjusting his own gloves.

"Now, you'd best put on that mask." Vlastomil chimed happily. "There's not a great deal of pollen coming off them right now, but I would still consider breathing it in a risk. To you, at least."

Vanda obediently tied the mask around his head. It wasn't so much a mask and more just a handkerchief tied over his mouth and nose, but he supposed that so long as it worked the specifics didn't matter. He waited patiently for the next instruction from the praetor, idly watching a small pink butterfly flutter past.

"Now, we will be removing the dying flowers from this plant. Simple enough, I am sure even you can manage it." He spoke as he tied a handkerchief around his own face. "Be sure to remove them gently now. They're quite delicate."

So _this_ was the delicate matter that he had been asked to help with. Vanda had to admit, when he had read the word delicate on the invitation he hadn't expected it to be so literal. Regardless, he sat forward and began to do as he was told to, carefully holding the wilting bloom at the base and wiggling it slightly side to side until it came off in his hand. He looked down at it. Even though it was dying and dried out the colour was still quite vibrant, especially against the black gloves. If they weren't poisonous, they would probably look nice in a potpourri. He then realised he didn't really know what to do with it.

"Um, what do I do with them?" He asked quietly.

"Oh, there's a bowl just here." Vlastomil indicated toward a largish bowl, grey with a faint crisscross pattern. "Put them in there."

Now that he knew what to do fully, he was a little more efficient with it. Once he had pulled a few blooms off he'd deposit them into the bowl, then turn back to the plant and repeat. The sun had set further, shining through the glass and bathing the whole room in a pale orange. They were working near in near silence, until a thought crossed Vanda's mind and he spoke up.

"I have a question, if you don't mind."

"Hm?" Vlastomil looked up from where he had seemingly been distracted by a small worm on the dirt. "Do go on, then."

"Why do you do this yourself? I would have thought you would get a servant to do it."

"Ah, that is a good question, yes it is." Vlastomil smiled slightly. "Your inquisitiveness pleases me. As for your question, well. The truth is that I simply enjoy doing this myself."

Vanda nodded in understanding. "Now you mention it, it's calming... But why get me to help, specifically?"

"My, you're simply full of questions. If you must know, it is because I happened to notice you have quite small, delicate hands. You are quite suited to it."

"Oh..." He hesitated. "Thank you?"

"You are quite welcome."

Vanda then turned back to the flowers. It was quite a large plant, but with two on them working in it the task hadn't taken a very long time at all. There was still light coming in through the glass, albeit a deeper orange than before and gradually dimming. He sat forward a little, looking carefully around for any wilting blooms that he had missed. When he didn't find any he looked back to the praetor, who he found was looking right back at him, eyes widened just oh so slightly.

"...Is something wrong?" He asked.

"Oh no, nothing at all. There is simply a butterfly on your head." He replied, not staring so intently anymore but still keeping an eye on him.

"I thought you didn't like butterflies?"

"I normally don't, that is what has surprised me. But this one doesn't look quite so bad against your hair. How odd."

"Oh, um..." Vanda flustered slightly. "Thank you."

He stayed quite still until the butterfly flew away of it's own accord, at which point Vlastomil stood up and he followed suit. The praetor picked up the bowl with one hand.

"In any case," Vlastomil began. "We're quite finished with these for the time being. Should I need more help I will be sure to invite you again, if you are not opposed to it."

When Vlastomil removed his gloves and mask he did the same, and they both put them on a small rack by the entrance. The sun had near completely set now, the dim light making this a little difficult for Vanda, but the praetor seemed to manage just fine.

"That'd be fine." Vanda smiled. "I wouldn't mind."

"That is good, yes. You were quite pleasant company." He passed the bowl to a passing servant. "See to it that Wiggler is given this."

The servant quickly hurried off, bowl in hand, and Vanda raised an eyebrow. "I thought they were poisonous?"

"To most things, yes. But my dear little Wiggler just adores them!" Vlastomil smiled widely at the thought of his favourite worm.

Vanda couldn't quite get his head around how the worm could eat them and not die, but decided not to question it. "I'm sure Wiggler will be happy, then."

"Oh, positively ecstatic!" Vlastomil beamed. "Now, it is getting quite late, it is. Do you have a carriage waiting for you?"

"There should be, I think."

"Good, good. Come along now, I'll see you out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We stan a worm


	2. Calling in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanda makes an excuse to visit Valdemar in the dungeons, and learns some more about the beetles in the process.

Vanda never could get used to the chill in the air down in the dungeons. It and the unpleasant memories he had surrounding the place always gave him chills, had him glancing about. But as he tied the bandana around his head and the handkerchief over his mouth and nose, apron fastened securely in a bow at his back, he faced that chill and that unease with a sort of determination. The sort of kind determination he'd been told that people would only find from him.

Recently, he'd caught wind of the fact that Valdemar rarely came out of the dungeons. He had immediately felt compelled to go and keep them company for a little while at least; no one should be alone all the time, even Muriel had figured that out, and in a depressing place like the dungeons that fact was even more true. 

He'd found a plausible excuse for his sudden visit. It had taken some brainstorming but he'd remembered that Valdemar mentioned that the beetles they kept hadn't been fed in a while. So he'd procured a bag of the mixed waste the palace kitchen would normally throw out to feed the beetles, then he would hang around afterwards and see what Valdemar was up to, how they were and so on. He didn't think what was in the waste mattered too much, he was fairly certain those beetles would eat anything. 

He pushed open the door slowly after stopping to put on gloves and entered the dungeons, taking a few steps into the room, eyes scanning the room for the Doctor. He couldn't see them anywhere...

He was suddenly unsure of his plan. What if Valdemar wasn't there at all? Sure, it was unlikely that he wasn't in the dungeons, but it made him think all the same.

"Hello?" He called out softly, gradually making his way into the room. "Are you down here, Doctor...?"

A long stretch of silence answered him. It seemed like he really wasn't there. He sighed slightly, and had just resigned himself to the fact that he was alone when a pair of hands that felt cold even through his clothes suddenly clasped his shoulders.

"My my, what a surprise."

He managed to stop himself from outright screaming but still let out a horribly undignified squeak as he stumbled forward in surprise and spun around, near dropping the bag in his hand.

"What brings you down here? On your own, no less."

Of course, it was Valdemar. Vanda took a deep breath with his free hand pressed to his chest in an attempt to to calm his racing heart, then gave the doctor an indignant look.

"D-don't do that...!" He said finally.

"Do what?" Valdemar asked innocently, head tilted to the side.

"I mean, don't try and scare me like that!"

Valdemar chuckled slightly. "I wasn't _trying_  to scare you at all, you silly duckling. If I wanted to really scare you, I would do much worse."

Vanda had managed to calm himself, the fear fading into an embarrassment that made him blush and pout slightly, even though Valdemar couldn't see it.

"Just... don't do that." He mumbled.

"If you insist. I'll be careful with you." The nonchalant wave of their hand made Vanda feel like they wouldn't keep that promise, but oh well. "In any case, it's rare for someone to come here on their own accord. What brings you here, hm? Did you perhaps lose a bet?"

"I, um..." For a brief moment Vanda forgot his plan, but he quickly recovered. He held up the bag he was carrying. "I remembered you mentioning that your beetles hadn't been fed in a while, so I was wondering if I could help?"

He swore he saw Valdemar's eyes light up for a moment. "Oh, you're interested in the beetles? Of course you can feed them."

Before Vanda knew it Valdemar was walking briskly over to the lever that opened the beetle pit and gesturing for him to follow, which he quickly did. They took a step back from the lever with an eyebrow raised.

"Care to do the honours, then?" They offered.

"Oh, okay!" Vanda agreed quickly, but when he went to push the lever he found it was heavier than he'd thought. He had to throw a good deal of his weight behind it to get it to move, and when it finally did it moved quickly, making him stumble.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. That that lever is quite stubborn." Valdemar gave a small sigh. "I suppose that is to be expected from disuse."

The lid of the pit slowly slid away, revealing the skittering red mass of beetles below. Vanda swallowed and undid the knot on the bag, which was a little difficult with gloved hands, but manageable. The bag mostly consisted of various kitchen scraps, but upon remembering the... original use of the beetles, he'd made sure that those scraps included at least some meat. Valdemar seemed to notice them looking at the bag, and gave a smile that was equal parts disconcerting and encouraging.

"Don't you worry, these beauties will eat almost anything organic." They took a handful of the scraps from the bag and scattered them over the bugs. "Just don't drop it all in one place."

"Like this?" Vanda took a handful, and did his best to copy.

"Yes, that will do nicely. Don't worry to much about being precise."

The scraps disappeared almost instantly after being dropped, devoured as quickly as they were provided. Vanda hummed in thought. "They eat really fast, don't they?"

"Indeed they do." Valdemar had stepped back, electing to simply watch instead of taking part. "In some cases they can take an entire carcass down to the bone in less than a week. Isn't that just amazing?"

Vanda laughed a little nervously, being careful not to lean too far over the edge. "...That is pretty impressive."

"Oh, I know. Aren't they just?"

Vanda continued to feed the beetles, mindful not to do so too fast and not give himself any time to really talk to the doctor. Not that the conversation didn't count, but he wanted to know about things other than beetles.

"So, um..." He picked up another handful, scattering them. "How are you, Doctor?"

"How am I?" Valdemar tipped their head to the side. "Whyever might you ask that?"

"I'm just curious. You're down here on your own all the time, and I don't see you much."

"Hm..." Valdemar hummed thoughtfully. "My research has been progressing steadily, and nothing has gone profoundly wrong. So I suppose I'm doing just fine."

"Doesn't it get lonely?"

Valdemar raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, you said yourself that not many people come down here. Don't you get lonely?"

"Not particularly. Generally I much prefer solitude."

Vanda couldn't help but feel awkward as he emptied the last of the bag into the pit. "Is that so..."

"Although it isn't without exceptions. I rarely let people hang about if I don't find them pleasant company."

Vanda hadn't noticed that Valdemar had moved to his side until he spoke, making him sqeak in surprise and drop the bag. It soon disappeared under the beetles.

"Um..." He looked to the side, embarrassed.

"You needn't worry about the bag. It was made of cloth, wasn't it?"

"...Yeah, it was."

"Then they'll eat that too. I wouldn't bother thinking about retrieving it."

They both looked at the beetles for a moment, before Valdemar stood back. Vanda followed the movement then watched them walk to the lever and lay their hand on it.

"If you're quite finished?"

It took Vanda a moment to process. "Oh, um- Yes."

Valdemar simply chuckled and pulled the lever with seemingly very little effort. The lid slowly slid shut until the skittering bugs were hidden from view. Valdemar hummed and walked over to a table off to the side, and then looked over his shoulder.

"I'll be performing an experiment in a moment." He stated simply, pulling his mask up over his face. "As lovely a guest as you have been, unless you enjoy the smell of burning blood I would advise you to leave."

"Oh?" Vanda was a little surprised at the abrupt end to the conversation, but figured it was for the best. He had never smelled burning blood, and didn't really want to anytime soon. He headed for the exit. "Okay, um, Goodbye!"

"Goodbye now." They looked back over their shoulder and gave a small wave. "Hang up your apron on the way out."

"I will!" Vanda soon opened the door, leaving, but not before he called one last thing over his shoulder. "Have a nice day!"

Valdemar, who had just turned back to setting up, quickly looked back around and blinked quickly in surprise only to find the door already closed and Vanda gone.

"...You too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Catch me realising that this whole fic needs to be at least 15000 words long ( ；∀；)


	3. Good luck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanda spends a rainy afternoon in the palace conservatory, listening to Vulgora spin tales of their treacherous battles.

"AND THEN I-"

"You crushed their puny hopes and dreams?"

Vulgora looked up from their pacing and animated gesturing to blink quickly with an eyebrow raised. "How did you know?

Vanda laughed softly and smiled, hands stilling in their work on the trinket in his hands. "You've told me this one before."

"Oh."

Despite the dreary weather outside, Vulgora seemed to be full of energy, pacing around the conservatory wildly and regaling Vanda and anyone else that would listen with tales of their most incredible battles and triumphs. Vanda didn't have a huge interest in battle stories as he was more of a passive type, as opposed to Vulgora who was very much confrontational, but still listened as they went on at length about their victories.

Aside from the bloody war stories, it was very much a peaceful scene. The summer rain was pouring outside, heavy against the glass roof and splashing on the plants and ground outside. Vanda was comfortably seated on a plush chair carefully whittling away at a wooden trinket, perfectly happy surrounded by the rain and potted plants.

It was strange seeing Vulgora in such a relaxing place; the words 'calm' and 'Vulgora' very rarely mixed.

"WELL, how about this one!" Vulgora said keenly. "The time I CRUSHED a group of bandits on the main Praka-Vesuvia highway!"

Vanda looked up, an eyebrow raised. "I don't think I've heard that one."

"Then I'll tell you!" They puffed out their chest. "And you can be as amazed about it as everybody else!"

Vanda smiled and kept whittling away at the disc in his hands, though he was still listening. War stories weren't his entertainment of choice, but they were still interesting.

"So there I was, riding on horse back on my way to Praka with 5 guards behind me- not that I needed them there, obviously-"

"Mhm. Did something happen to them?"

"You BET. I turned around for a second, and all of them were GONE!"

"Where did they go?" Vanda perked up a little, concerned.

"Eh, just off the road, they were fine." Vulgora waved their hand dismissively. "ANYWAY. When I turned back, there were three guys on the road in front of me, then another three sprung up behind me."

"You took on six of them at once?" Vanda asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"Nah, they were IDIOTS! They came at me like, two at a time."

Vulgora sat carelessly down into a seat next to Vanda, the seat tilting backwards for a moment before settling. Vanda looked up for a moment as they got comfortable, and then the large hand gestures returned as they spun the tale.

"So THEN the first two guys came at me, yelling some bullshit about how nobles were evil and needed to die or something, and they both took a swing at me."

"They were fighting barehanded?" Vanda inquiried.

"Nah, they had these HUGE spiky gauntlets on." Vulgora stretched their arms out to emphasise the hugeness. "But I had gauntlets on too! So I grabbed them and cracked their heads together and THREW them right off the path!"

Vanda winced at the thought, and brushed some little pieces of wood off his lap. "And then another two tried to get you?"

"YEAH! How'd you know?"

"Just a guess."

"Huh, good guess. One of the next guys had gauntlets too, but the other guy had a RAPIER! A big one! But the gauntlet guy was coming from in front and the rapier guy was behind me, so I just stepped to the side and the first one took the second one out for me!"

Vanda giggled a little; despite the violence, that was pretty funny to imagine. "So how did you take on the one with gauntlets?"

"I'm glad you asked! He turned around and swung at me, so I blocked it and punched him RIGHT in the chest! He left himself WIDE OPEN!"

"That wasn't smart."

"Yeah, he was stupid. But then the last two guys came at me. There was another guy with a rapier and a HUGE guy with a knife. Since the big guy was heavy, his momentum just carried him straight into my fist! He went down like a stone!"

"What about the last one?"

"He was fast! He came around behind me and actually managed to cut me across the back!"

"Ow, that sounds bad..." Vanda cringed slightly at the thought.

"Yeah, it hurt! So I was PISSED! I turned around before he could prance off again and grabbed his sword, then clocked him RIGHT in the jaw!"

"What then? What happened to them after that?" Vanda looked up from detailing the charm in his hands.

"Volta's little group was travelling a while behind me, so they caught up before I had a chance to finish 'em off. They found my guards too, not-"

"Not that you needed them." Vanda laughed a little as he carved off a tiny sliver of wood. "I know."

"YEAH!" Vulgora punched the air. "I can handle myself!"

"I'm glad your guards were okay."

"Me too I guess. They might've been incompetent, but that Ludovico guy plays a mean game of poker."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, he was cool to play with."

Vanda mumbled a few words quietly, waving his hand over the charm that he had now finished. "Did your back heal well?"

"Psh, well enough. There's a lil bit of a scar on my back, but it's hardly even there."

Vanda smiled softly. "That's good. It'd be nice if you hadn't gotten hurt at all, though."

"Meh, it doesn't matter that much." Vulgora batted the air in front of them uncaringly, rolling their eyes as they stood up. "I might go find Ludovico... I haven't played cards with him in a while."

They stretched, flexing their gauntleted hands for a second, and were about to leave when Vanda caught their attention by tugging on their sleeve.

"Hey, just a second." He let go of their sleeve as soon as they turned to look at him and smiled, holding out the charm he had just finished. "I have something for you."

Vulgora rook the charm from his hands, squinting at it. The wooden disc was carved carefully with a ladybug, keys and clovers. "...This looks pretty breakable." They said finally. "Why should I take it?"

"It's for good luck. Since you get into so many fights, I figured a little help wouldn't hurt."

"I don't need luck!" Vulgora frowned. "I'm pretty capable-"

"I'd be really happy if you took it. Please?"

Vulgora looked off to the side for a moment, then they relented with a blush. "...Fine. But it's ONLY because you want me to!"

Vanda laughed softly, settling back down as they left, off to go look for Ludovico. "That's good enough for me."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd let them kill me ngl


	4. Shards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breaking a glass in one's hand doesn't always go off without a hitch.

Vanda heard it break before he saw it. The sound of the glass shattering was distinctive and _loud_ , loud enough to be heard over Valerius's irritated, raised voice. Even though Vanda was currently hiding around the corner while Valerius went off on some poor servant, he still heard his voice waver for just a second after the sound of glass breaking and winced.

He wasn't even entirely sure what Valerius was so annoyed about. He'd been looking for him on a whim, been told he was out on the balcony, and he had already been yelling when he arrived. He had then decided that it was probably best to stay out of whatever the issue was and wait for him to finish before he approached, not wanting to complicate the situation further by being there.

Eventually, Valerius ordered the servant away and they quickly complied, rushing off in the direction of whatever task Valerius had set them to. He heard Valerius sigh heavily, and when he came around the corner he was leaning on the handrail, pinching the bridge of his nose in an exasperated fashion. He looked up as Vanda approached with a weary smile.

"Ah, Vanda. I didn't expect to see you today." He spoke cordially, but was clearly still somewhat irritated. "Did you need something?"

"Not really." Vanda moved to stand next to him, slipping a small calming charm into his pocket. "What was that all about?"

Valerius sighed again, looking out over the palace grounds to occupy himself. "Nothing that you should concern yourself over. Explaining would take a great deal of time and energy which I don't have at the moment."

"Maybe some other time, then."

"Mm." He hummed doubtfully. "Perhaps."

Vanda heard a sound behind them and looked around to face it, relieved to find it was just a servant quickly and quietly sweeping up the broken shards from the glass that Valerius had broken. He smiled at them and mouthed a thank you as they looked up, and was happy to see them smile back before they disappeared, leaving them both alone on the balcony. Just then, a thought occurred to him.

He'd heard Valerius waver slightly when he broke the glass, and hadn't looked at his hands since. He tugged slightly on Valerius's sleeve, and was greeted with a slightly puzzled look.

"Yes? Is something the matter?"

"Let me look at your hand." Vanda requested.

"My hand? Whyever would you need to..." Valerius raised an eyebrow as he followed Vanda's gaze down to a smear of red on the white marble of the handrail. "Ah."

He lifted his hand from the stone and they both looked at it. There were a few clean, straight cuts from the sharp edges of broken glass, one bigger than the rest straight across his palm. Vanda quickly and gently took hold of his wrist with a concerned expression, tugging slightly in the direction of a pair of chairs.

"Let me clean that up for you." He offered.

"Vanda, that's really not necessary. I can simply go to one of the Palace doctors."

Despite his initial refusal of the help, he still allowed himself to be taken over to the chairs and sat down. Vanda shrugged his bag off his shoulder and opened it up, looking for something.

"I'm closer, though." He pointed out, smiling. "And I'd like to take care of you."

Valerius blushed and then, doing his best to seem reluctant, held his hand out. "... Alright."

"Don't worry, I'll be careful."

The apprentice retrieved a small handkerchief from a pocket in his bag, along with a bottle of water. He poured just enough onto the cloth to make it damp, and then began carefully dabbing away the blood on Valerius's palm. Valerius watched with a curious eye; he would have expected this to sting, but Vanda was simply being so gentle that it didn't hurt at all. With the blood cleaned away, he reached back into his bag to retrieve a tiny jar.

"What exactly is that?" Valerius asked as Vanda unscrewed the lid. "Not some odd potion of yours, I hope."

Vanda laughed softly. "No, it's just a simple balm for cuts. I didn't even make it, Julian gave me it."

Vanda gathered some of the white balm on his fingers and began to smear it along the length of each cut. Valerius winced; the handkerchief hadn't stung, but this concoction certainly did, but at least it seemed to smell nice. Sort of sweet, but he couldn't place his finger on what exactly it was like. Whatever it was, Vanda didn't seem to need very much of it, and the jar soon disappeared back into one of the various pockets of the bag.

"I can't believe I didn't notice." He said finally. "You would think one would realise that his hand was cut open, but... Well, I suppose not."

"Glass is sharp, though." Vanda pointed out, rubbing slightly on Valerius's palm to work the balm into his skin. "When you get cut by things are that sharp, sometimes you just don't notice."

"Mm. I suppose so. All the same, I shudder to thing what might have happened if I'd gone to sign off some papers and didn't notice."

He grimaced at the thought, and Vanda hid a small giggle behind his hand. Valerius frowned slightly, as he certainly didn't consider it a laughing matter.

"Anyway..." Vanda looked closely at the hand he'd been working on for the past few minutes. "That balm should be all worked in now, so your hand'll be nice and clean."

"And what will you be doing now? I assume you aren't done with me yet."

"Not quite. Stay still for me, okay?"

"... Alright."

Vanda smiled and pressed his palm to Valerius's, gently holding his hand. Valerius was about to ask what he was doing when he was caught off guard by a sort of tingling warmth spreading over the entirety of his palm. After a few moments Vanda withdrew his hand, and Valerius looked down at his own with a mix of wonder and confusion.

"What exactly did you just do?" He asked, opening and closing his hand a few times.

"It was just a little healing magic. How does it feel?"

Valerius looked at the faint lines where the cuts had been just moments ago. "It feels fine."

"That's good!" Vanda smiled, standing and putting his bag back over his shoulder. "I haven't used that spell many times..."

Valerius watched him stand, and raised an eyebrow. "Are you leaving?"

"Yeah." He tugged on the strap of his bag to have it sit more comfortably across him. "I need to get some things for Asra before I go. Do you know if there's honeysuckle in the gardens?"

Vanda stood patiently as Valerius thought for a moment, rocking back on his heels as he waited for an answer.

"I think so." He said finally. "Yes. I distinctly remember seeing it in the centre of the maze."

"The centre of the maze..." Vanda nodded. "Right. I'll see you later, then!"

"Vanda, before you go..."

Vanda looked over his shoulder from where he had stopped in the doorway curiously. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I just-" Valerius looked off to the side. "Thank you."

Vanda smiled widely. "No problem!"

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously how doesn't he cut himself when he does that


	5. Carapace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Volta, by some miracle, feels full and takes a walk in the gardens. By chance, she finds a companion.

The fading evening was quiet and warm. In the hedges surrounding his Vanda could hear various birds chittering and grasshoppers chirping. In the distance, gentle flowing water, probably the fountain. He breathed in the natural smell in the air, and let out a gentle airy sigh. It really was a lovely evening, one that made him glad to have access to the palace gardens. The serenity was suddenly broken however, by a high lilting voice nearby.

"Oh, it's Vanda!"

Vanda looked around to find Volta scurrying toward him. He smiled as she approached.

"Volta! What are you doing out here?"

As far as he was aware, dinner was still being served. So why was she out here in the maze? He didn't know Volta terribly well, but he did know full well that she had a voracious appetite, even without the Devil binding her.

"Well, dinner is over, and believe it or not Volta is actually feeling a little bit full!" Volta looked away almost bashfully, fidgeting. "The dear Countess suggested I might take a little walk. So I did!"

Ah, so dinner was over then. It seemed like he'd been wandering around the maze for longer than he'd thought. It was just so easy to lose track of time surrounded by such lovely scenery. He looked in the direction of a particularly loud chirp briefly before looking back at Volta.

"Ah, really?" He laughed softly, a little surprised. "That's a coincidence. I'm out here for the same reason."

"You are?" Volta questioned rhetorically. "Oh, wonderful! May Volta walk with you?"

"Of course!"

"Oh, thank you!"

It was hardly even a second before Volta had happily taken the space by his side, talking to herself rapidly about how nice he was to walk with her, how nice it was to bump into him, how nice the evening was and so on. He looked down as he felt her hold his wrist, an eyebrow raised. Volta saw the puzzled look and quickly withdrew.

"Ah, Volta is sorry! Volta should have asked, before she held onto you..."

She positively shrank, looking away and clasping her hands to her chest. Vanda smiled warmly and took hold of one of them, earning a surprised little squeak.

"That's fine, you don't need to ask." He chuckled, watching her turn a flustered shade of pink. "I wouldn't want to lose you in here, after all."

"That is true! Volta wouldn't want to lose you, either!"

They walked quite happily for some time, hand in hand, until Vanda stopped and looked around. It was quieter then, the birds falling asleep and no longer making as much noise. Volta looked up at him curiously.

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

"No... I'm just not sure if we're going the right way." Vanda admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.

"Oh no! But there is no food in the maze!"

"We'll find our way." Vanda assured, squeezing her hand. "Don't worry! Just give me a moment..."

Vanda closed his eyes for a moment, focusing while Volta quietly stood next to him, looking up in wonder as she felt his magic around the both of them, wrapped around them like a balmy breeze. Then Vanda opened his eyes, smiled widely, and started walking again.

"The centre is this way!" He proclaimed.

"Are you very certain?"

"Absolutely!"

Volta giggled as the Apprentice pulled her along, occasionally stopping at a crossroads to consider the way to go before smiling back at her and taking a turn. The whole time, she never let go of his hand, which she was thankful for as she had never had a very good sense of direction.

Eventually, after navigating the many twists and turns of the maze, they emerged in the center. The night flowering plants were in full bloom, filling the air with a sweet scent, the fountain providing a musical background noise. Vanda gave a happy laugh at the sight.

"There we go, see?" He let go of her hand, smiling. "Told you we'd find our way."

"You did! Volta is happy that you were right!"

They both move to take a seat on the edge of the fountain, listening to the water and the sounds of the night all around them. Volta was quietly lost in thought for a moment, until something cold touched her face and she sqeaked in surprise. Refocusing, she found that Vanda was trailing a hand in the water and watching her reaction, hiding a giggle behind his free hand. Then, it dawned on her what had touched her face.

She realised it too late to avoid another playful splash, but did however realise in time to retaliate with one of her own, flicking the water up and earning a lively laugh from Vanda as he tried to shield his face from the water. With his face covered she couldn't splash it, but soon enough his hair was filled with shining beads of water.

Vanda took his hands away from his face to hold them in a surrendering gesture with a chuckle. "Alright, alright! You win!"

Volta gave one last little splash before dissolving into giggles, hiding her face. Vanda stood and combed his fingers through his now damp hair, shaking his head slightly.

"Volta is sorry for getting your hair wet..." Volta said, looking away a little sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it!" Vanda smiled and gave her a light pat on the back. "It's a warm night, so it'll dry quickly."

He took a few steps away from the fountain, then crouched down to look at something on the grass. He picked it up carefully and waved Volta over with his free hand.

"Look at what I found!" He said cheerfully. As Volta came closer, she saw that in his hand was a small beetle, it's carapace a shimmering metallic green.

"How pretty!" She exclaimed.

"Isn't it?" Vanda beamed as he showed it off.

"Can I hold it?" Volta asked.

"Of course!"

He carefully touched their fingertips together, and soon enough the beetle crawled onto Volta's hand of it's own accord. He watched with a smile as she lifted it close to her face to marvel at it's shiny body. They both looked at it for quite some time before Volta looked up at him.

"Um, Vanda?" She said shyly. "Volta is getting hungry..."

"Ah, I guess we should go back soon, then..." He knelt down for a moment to open his bag and look through it. "I might have something in here... Just a moment."

Volta waited remarkably patiently while Vanda ruffled through his bag, until he came up with a bread roll he had taken for later during breakfast. When he stood back up and turned his attention back to Volta however, the beetle was nowhere to be seen.

"Here- Ah, where did the beetle go?"

"Oh, it flew away!" Volta said quickly, glancing away.

"That's a shame..." He handed her the roll, which she quickly began to eat. "Do you want to head back to the palace?"

"Um," She paused in her munching for a moment. "If you would be so nice as to walk Volta back..."

"Of course!"

Vanda offered his hand with a slightly dramatic flair, prompting another round of bubbly giggles from Volta who took it gratefully with the hand that wasn't holding her bread, following his lead past the bushes now veiled in increasingly dim light. Hopefully between them they could remember the way back out of the maze.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beetles are actually pretty nutritious.


End file.
